Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means needs season-ending elbow surgery. Jess Rapfogel/Associated Press

BALTIMORE — John Means and Tyler Wells will miss the rest of the season because of elbow problems that require surgery, a blow to Baltimore’s pitching depth as the Orioles try to defend their AL East title.

General Manager Mike Elias announced the status of Means and Wells before Friday night’s game against Tampa Bay. Means returned late last season from Tommy John surgery but has made only eight starts since then. Wells made 43 starts over the past two years but only three more in 2024.

The Orioles began the season without starting pitchers Means and Kyle Bradish. Now Bradish is back, but Dean Kremer has missed over a week with a triceps strain – and Means and Wells may not return until after the start of next season.

“I think it’s a strong likelihood,” Elias said. “You get the repair, my understanding is that’s kind of roughly a 11, 12-month kind of thing, front to back, in terms of getting yourself back on TV, so to speak. It can be longer than that.”

Elias said the two players will have their UCLs repaired. He said it’s not clear yet what type of surgery they’ll have, meaning the recovery time frames are a bit uncertain.

“It’s really disappointing,” Manager Brandon Hyde said. “Two guys you really pull for. We were hoping for better news.”

Albert Suárez was set to start Friday, with Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Cole Irvin and Bradish rounding out the rotation for now. Kremer could presumably replace Suárez when he returns, which Elias said might potentially be before the end of June.

RAYS: Wander Franco’s administrative leave was extended through July 14 by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.

Tampa Bay’s All-Star shortstop has not played since Aug. 12 while MLB continues its investigation into an alleged relationship with a minor.

Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this year, has remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities there investigate.

Franco was placed on the restricted list for a week on Aug. 14 while MLB launched an investigation following social media posts suggesting Franco was in a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.

DIAMONDBACKS: Zac Gallen was placed on the 15-day injured list because of a strained right hamstring.

The defending National League champions recalled right-hander Slade Cecconi from Triple-A Reno before the second game of a four-game series against the New York Mets.

Gallen was removed six pitches into Thursday night’s start at Citi Field. He went back to Arizona on Friday to undergo an MRI and get evaluated by team doctors.

The 28-year-old right-hander is 5-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 11 starts. He finished in the top five of NL Cy Young Award voting each of the past two years, including third last season when he went 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA in 210 innings and made his first All-Star team.

BLUE JAYS: Toronto put right-hander Alek Manoah on the 15-day injured list because of a sprained elbow, two days after the 2022 Cy Young Award finalist left a start against the White Sox after 1 2/3 innings.

Also Friday, the Blue Jays acquired right-hander Ryan Burr from Philadelphia in exchange for cash and added him to the roster. Burr was 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 15 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

To make room on the 40-man roster, Triple-A right-hander Joel Kuhnel was designated for assignment.

Manoah’s IL stint is retroactive to May 30. He’s 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in five starts after missing the start of the season because of shoulder inflammation.

METS: The disappointing New York Mets shook up their roster a bit, sending third baseman Brett Baty and rookie pitcher Christian Scott to the minors in a series of moves that also included backup catcher Omar Narváez being designated for assignment.

The team acquired catcher Luis Torrens from the crosstown New York Yankees for cash and called him up to the majors. Torrens had been playing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees’ farm system.

The Mets also selected veteran José Iglesias from Triple-A Syracuse, adding the backup middle infielder they’d gone without on the bench since cutting Joey Wendle on May 15.

MARINERS: Seattle fired bench coach and offensive coordinator Brant Brown less than six months after he was hired for the job.

The club announced Brown’s dismissal amid a season-long offensive slump. The Mariners currently rank 29th in MLB with 3.64 runs per game and are tied for 28th in total runs this season. They lead all of baseball in strikeouts.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

REDS 5, CUBS 4: Santiago Espinal hit a two-run homer while pinch hitting in the seventh inning and Cincinnati held on to win in Chicago.

Espinal, who entered hitting just .195, batted for Will Benson with zero outs and Jonathan India on first after a walk. He sent Drew Smyly’s first pitch into Wrigley Field’s left-center bleachers for his third homer, giving Cincinnati its first lead at 4-3.